The couch
by Danym
Summary: Brass makes an interesting discovery when pursuing a hobby. [GSR]


The couch

By Dany

Summary: Brass makes an interesting discovery when pursuing a hobby.

A/N: This story will (in a shortened version) be included in a new series I'm currently preparing. My story _Clues _will belong to it too. Big thanks to ITB.

Disclaimer: CSI's not mine.

xxxxx

Jim Brass was on his way to an appointment with a real-estate agent.

He didn't want to move, but he always looked at some houses anyway. It was sort of a hobby, one he would never admit to have. People would think he was a softie or simply crazy, when he was only indulging.

There were actually two reasons why he liked going to such a viewing. One, he was a cop. It was in his nature to be curious. He saw how people were living and his mind catalogued the different styles of houses. That had come in handy more than once. If he had seen a specific type of house before he knew his way around the crime scene better and therefore wasn't at risk of compromising evidence.

But besides that, he did it solely for the relaxation. Looking at houses, no matter what price range, made him think how it would be to move out of his small apartment. Sometimes he wondered how it would have been if Ellie had chosen to stay with him. He would have wanted to give her a real home.

Today's house was situated in one of the best parts of Vegas - Summerlin - and one of the more pricey ones. He had seen it on the internet and although it was not his usual taste he had set up an appointment. His car moved slowly through the neighborhood giving him the chance to take a look at the other houses.

Pictures of happy families formed in his head. Maybe they had just moved in and this sight was as new to them as it was to him. Or maybe they had already sent off their kids to college after giving them a fulfilled childhood here. He liked those fantasies. They gave him a balance to the times he had to drive through similar neighborhoods and had to imagine what kind of horrors would await him today.

Counting the house numbers he saw that he was nearing his destination, but he was ten minutes early. It didn't matter though. He had time and he would drive around the block once more until it was time for his appointment.

And then saw the house coming up. It was as nice as the pictures in the ad suggested. The style was slightly Mediterranean. The two-story house was painted with a bright sand color and the terracotta tile roof went down in terraces, making the second story slightly smaller than the first one. Big white windows would let in a lot of light. It didn't seem as big as the other houses on the street, but big enough for a little family of three, maybe even four.

Fresh green dominated the front lawn, only small patches of faded grass could be seen. And the driveway…

His thoughts broke off as he saw a familiar car in the driveway.

What in the world was he doing here?

xxxxx

He had driven around the block, hoping to find a parking spot from where he could watch the house without being seen. He couldn't find a good position and when he rounded the corner again the car was gone.

'Damn', he cursed himself for taking too long. Glancing at his watch he realized that it was time for his appointment. Maybe he could get something out of the real-estate agent.

Brass parked his car and went inside. A woman in her mid-forties rushed over to him and immediately began talking. "You must be Mr. Brass. I'm Caitlin Burke. Are you alone? No wife, no kids? Oh well, you're probably here for a first walkthrough. Believe me, you will love this house…" She went on and on, not even stopping to get some air. Every little detail was explained.

Brass restricted himself to smiling and nodding. He was anxious to ask her about her previous viewers, but she didn't give him the chance.

Looking around, he had to admit the house was more than nice. It was perfect.

xxxxx

After the tour was finally over she gave him the chance to speak. "Are there many people interested?" He didn't want to tip her off that he had a specific person in mind.

"Oh yes, in such a lovely neighborhood. You need to know what you want and decide fast. In fact, the last couple already made an offer."

Couple?

"I think, I might have seen them leaving." Brass wanted to know more and hoped the little-too-friendly agent would take the bait.

"That could be. Mr. Grissom and his wife just left minutes before you came in."

His wife?

What the hell was going on here?

"They really want this house." Caitlin Burke fluttered her eyelashes at him, probably hoping to get a more than generous offer from him too.

Those people were always the same. Everywhere they smelled a good catch they poured their charms out – or at least tried to. Most of them were not really successful, only coming across as fake.

Brass' mind, though, was still stuck on 'his wife' and didn't really notice her fishing for a certain amount of money. Only when she called his name to get his attention did he return to the situation at hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was thinking about how much my wife and my daughter would like it here."

Her eyes lit up at the prospect of a new client. "But, did you say Mr. Grissom?"

"Yes, do you know him?" Now she looked a bit taken aback. If two clients knew each other then either one pulled out of the deal or they tried to outbid each other. The second possibility was of course more lucrative, but it was always a gamble.

"I think I might. I know a Dr. Gil Grissom through work. Maybe it's just a coincidence, though." He wanted her to provide more information about the wife. Who could it be and how come no one knew about her? Now he cursed his own stupidity even more. Why did he drive around the block again and did not wait until Grissom left the house?

"Oh yes, his name was Gil Grissom." The realtor seemed to think he and Grissom belonged into the latter category of clients. "I don't think that name is too common, although he didn't mention that he is a doctor."

Brass chuckled internally. Every time people heard the word 'doctor' they immediately pictured a wealthy physician.

"His wife is a very nice young woman, but I don't think they have been married for too long. They still got that newlywed-glow, you know." She was now talking freely, not feeling hesitant anymore.

Brass still wondered who she was talking about, when suddenly a picture of a 'very nice young woman' who was very much in love with Gil Grissom appeared before his mind's eye. "Sara?"

He had not meant to ask that aloud, but the realtor answered anyway. "That was her name, yes."

Brass looked at her in surprise. "Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, gap-toothed?" She confirmed his suspicions with a nod.

He was totally stumped. Grissom and Sara? Married? Could they have finally gotten their heads out of the sand?

Before the real-estate agent could get suspicious again, he caught himself and put on a happy face. "Wow, I didn't know they had gotten married. What a surprise. Next time I see them congratulations are in order."

"I hate to rush you, Mr. Brass, but the next clients should arrive any minute now. What do you think about the house? Isn't it amazing?"

His chance to get more out of the woman was over so he gracefully declined, stating that the house was very nice, but slightly out of the price range his wife had set.

As he drove home, his head was still spinning. The relaxation that normally followed a viewing failed to set in.

xxxxx

The computer in front of him was tempting. It would be so easy to pull up marriage records, but Grissom was still his friend.

Brass felt that Grissom deserved more honesty, even if he hadn't told anyone that he was married. Plus, he really wanted to hear it from Grissom himself.

The next option was the telephone. His hand hovered over the receiver, ready to call Grissom and ask for a meeting. But he hesitated again.

He wondered what this relationship meant to his friend. Relationships, no matter what kind, had never been easy for Grissom. Even a friendship like theirs took a lot of effort from his side. He had a hard time opening up to anybody.

But something was different when he was around Sara. Brass always thought that there was a force field around Grissom, so that no one could get to close. Although when it came to Sara he swore that Grissom was trying to push his hand through it to touch her.

So, if he had finally broken through, would it be fair to complicate matters anymore than they already were?

As Grissom's friend he made the decision to let them be for now. If the time was right they would come forward.

xxxxx

Over the next few weeks he kept a close eye on Grissom and Sara. And indeed, he could make out little changes. Changes that were so small and subtle that no one else seemed to notice.

Several times he had seen a cup of coffee waiting either in the break room or in Grissom's office before anyone else had arrived. The same happened to food. One day he was looking for Grissom, finding a food box on his desk. Upon entering the break room, still in search for the scientist, he saw her eating out of a very similar box.

Sara seemed a bit more eager to seek out help from Grissom during a case, while he 'supervised' more. And he came out of his office more than usual, always asking how the cases were going. Of course he asked about all cases and not only the ones Sara was handling, but the intention was there.

Their old habits seemed to come back too. The eye contact, the brushing against each other, the geek mind meld showed a new understanding.

Everything was subtle and no one could fault them for their professional behavior, but the changes were there.

With everything seemingly well, Brass left for a weekend with his ex-wife and his daughter.

xxxxx

Arriving back on Monday he was whistling slightly as he walked into the lab. His weekend had been pleasant.

Ellie had changed a lot and had been more open towards him. They had talked some, but mostly just spent time together. On Saturday they had been to a hockey game and on Sunday they had worked side by side around his ex-wife's house, repairing this and that. Usually that was not his thing, but he did it to be with his daughter. He felt like they had really made progress and vowed that this wouldn't be the last time he visited.

He had come to the lab this evening to tell Grissom about his daughter. But what he found was not what he had expected.

In one of the less frequented lab rooms he found Sara sitting in the dark. She sat hidden away in a corner, the dark obscuring her face.

Brass could tell something was wrong. He stepped carefully into the lab, closing the door behind him. "Sara?"

She whipped her head up at the unexpected sound. It was too dark to tell, but he would swear he saw tears glistening in her eyes. "Sara, what…?"

Sara turned her head away from him trying to hide the tears, but he knew they were there.

Only two things could cause Sara Sidle that much pain. Rape and abuse cases or… Gil Grissom. Somehow he knew that this time it was not about a case.

They had hid a roadblock.

He eased himself into the chair next to her. "What did he do?" He spoke in a soft voice, not wanting to risk anyone overhearing them since it was still an hour until nightshift.

Her head turned back to Brass. If only it weren't so dark he would be able to read her expression. He could feel her eyes through the dark and knew if he wanted to get anything out of her it was time for him to be honest. "I saw your car at the house in Summerlin and the realtor told me you were married."

Her gasp was audible. "Oh god."

"I haven't said anything to anyone. I know better than that." Sara didn't move at all and he followed her lead.

"I don't even know if it's true. I didn't ask, because I thought when you wanted us to know you would come forward with it. But I _do_ know that something _has_ changed." He didn't have to ask anymore, because her lack of denial told him that they were indeed married.

At that moment he heard a noise in the hallway. Sara must have heard it too, because she was holding her breath.

It was Greg. Headphones on he danced along the corridor not even looking up. When he had passed Sara let out her breath in one big wush.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else to talk before the others arrive." Brass let her wipe away the tears and led her out of her dark hiding space.

xxxxx

At a small diner he bought some coffee figuring they would need it. But they didn't stop there. He drove on until they had reached the parking lot of a mall. It was late and the lot was almost empty.

Talking was neither his nor her strong suit, but he knew it was important that she told someone. He wasn't sure if he was the right person for it, but he would have to do.

"It's… it's… you know that house?" She had a hard time expressing herself, so Brass tried to encourage her to get it all out.

He turned to her making eye contact to let her know it was all right. "Yes."

"We bought it." This brought a smile to her face, but it vanished again when she continued.

"Everything was fine… at least I thought so… until Saturday." Closing her eyes the tears started trickling down her cheeks.

"We were out buying a new couch. Mine is too old and his too small… and were standing in this store and looking at one… and suddenly he… just left." She was now openly sobbing clutching her stomach. The sobs wracked her so hard that she started spilling her coffee.

Brass gently pried the paper cup out of her hand and placed it on the dashboard.

"I… I tried calling him… and went to… to his house… but I couldn't… find him." He had to concentrate hard on her words to understand anything at all, but he could guess what she was trying to say. Never had he seen her like this.

Brass put his hand on her back and started to rub it slowly hoping to soothe her. Jesus, Grissom had the power to destroy her. The usual stoic Sara Sidle was reduced to tears barely getting a word out because of one man. Gil Grissom.

His friend needed a good kick in the behind.

"What if… he doesn't… want me?" Her self-confidence was really low for such a beautiful young woman. Every man in the lab drooled over her. Add to that almost the whole police department and she should have had no doubts about her appeal. But Sara was not like other women. She didn't notice the constant flirting. All she saw was her work and Grissom.

"Sara, I know it isn't much, but he is probably only scared. No strike that. He is in full panic mode. To my knowledge he has never let anyone get as close to him as he does you. Once he has had time to think about it, he will know what an idiot he has been. He will come around. And do you know why? Because he _does_ want you." How could he risk it all? Grissom had almost thrown away the one thing he had wanted for years.

"I'll talk to him and make sure he has his head screwed on right before I send him to you." He smiled. "Of course only so you can rip it off again."

Her sobs finally slowed as she tried to smile. She was still upset and hurt and it showed. Only Grissom would be able to fix that, which was ironic since he had also caused the pain.

xxxxx

Brass dropped Sara off at the lab. She was still down, but at least able to function now.

As soon as she had entered the building he pulled out his cell phone and punched in Grissom's number. Surprisingly his friend answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

Brass could detect tiredness and a hint of desperation in his voice. So he was feeling like an idiot already. Good!

"Hey Gil, where are you? I've got a hot case." Ok, that was a lie, but if he came straight out telling Grissom he wanted to talk he wouldn't get anywhere. He knew him well enough to be able to predict that.

"I'm off tonight. Can't somebody else do it?" Grissom was declining. He must feel really low – just as he should.

"No, this has Gil Grissom written all over. Are you at home? Should I come and get you?" Sara had said he hadn't been at the town house so he needed to know where he was. They had to talk face to face.

"Uhm, no. I'm out… organizing something." Brass couldn't hear any outside noise. The light bulb went on in his brain and he knew where Grissom had been hiding. He was probably already working on his apology for Sara.

"Can't you give this case to Cath? I'm really busy here," Grissom tried again to get out of this 'case'.

Now that Brass knew where to find him he didn't need the case anymore. "I'll see. I'll call again if there's trouble."

He put his car in gear and headed to the house.

xxxxx

He had driven over to Summerlin and knocked at the door, hoping he was right about Grissom's whereabouts. The door opened not a minute later and a disheveled CSI supervisor greeted him with a sour face.

"That's not a good way to greet possible new neighbors," was Brass' only comment as he pushed passed Grissom.

He looked around the foyer, which had been unfurnished at the viewing. But now, from what he could see, it was tastefully decorated. The entrance was held in light white and beige tones while the living room was colored in warm yellow, orange and red shades. Not what he would have expected from Gil Grissom, but he could envision Sara living here. Despite her seriousness she was a bright and intense woman who could shine among such rich colors. But only when she wasn't crying!

He reminded himself why he was here and turned to Grissom who still stood behind him too stunned to move. "I saw you when you had the appointment with the real-estate agent."

Grissom's face softened when he realized how they had been discovered. "Why now?"

"Guess! You're the genius." He received a nod as answer. They were both on the same ground now so Brass continued. "What happened Gil? You hurt her bad." One deep breath and then another. He had to keep himself from showing his anger and getting loud with his friend.

"Do you think I don't know that!" Grissom had not enough self-control left after the last weekend and raised his voice. "I'm bad for her, Jim. She deserves so much better." He let himself sink down onto to the couch and held his head in his hands.

"But for her, _you_ are the 'so much better'." Brass sat down next to Grissom. "I know it's not easy. A relationship, marriage takes a lot of work. God knows, I learned that lesson too late. But it's not too late for you. You two have just started. She doesn't expect you to be perfect. She just wants to be part of your life. Don't shut her out." How did it come to this? He was absolutely the last person who should give advice, but on the other hand, who else was there?

"Once I told her… everything just went so fast. I want it, but… I don't regret anything, but suddenly I had time to think everything through and…"

"And the doubts came back." Brass finished what Grissom couldn't. "Why does a woman like Sara love me? How could it possibly work? Is that it?" Now his anger appeared again. With some effort though, he managed to calm himself again.

"Gil, she loves _you_. That is the answer to all your questions. She has for a long time. She said yes, she bought a house with you. You!" He knew he had to hammer his point in some more before Grissom would stop overanalyzing things.

"These past few weeks, I've watched you two. And guess what I saw. Sara was happy. She finally smiled again. Today, she was not happy at all. Let me tell you some facts, Mr. Science. Sara, when she came here and you two were tight: happy. Sara, when you were barely speaking to her: Not happy. The last few weeks: happy. After you walked out on her: devastated. She's shattered right now and if we look at the facts there is only one thing to make it better…"

Grissom took everything that Brass said in with a nod. "Talk to her."

Lifting his head, he finally saw determination instead of resignation on Grissom's face again. There was still hope. And he had no doubt that Sara would take her man back. She always would, because she loved Grissom. She was hooked on this weird, nerdy guy.

A smile formed on his face. "Hey, that the couch she wanted?" His hands slid over the soft material.

Grissom confirmed it with a smile on his own and a nod.

"Man, you got it bad if you're willing to buy this baby."

The end


End file.
